Improvement in fire-places



0. L. LEFEBURE.

Fire-Place.

Patented Ma*y'6,"1879.

' N-PETERS. PNDTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D G.

UNITED-[STATES CHARLES L. LEFEBiURE,

PATENT' On -Ion.

OF OHILLIOOTHE, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-PLACES.

Specification forming part of Letters'P tent No- 215,063, dated May 6,1879; application filed February 12,1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES L. LEFEBURE, of Ohillicothe, in the countyof Ross and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fire-Places andI'do hereby declare that the following isa full, clear, and

' exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilledin the artto which it ap pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in grate-backs, hot-air chambers,andpipes over those in present use, in utilizing more effectually andeconomically the heat from the back and topof an open fire, and applyingthe air thus heated in heating the same or other rooms. Heret-ofore manygrate -backs have been made with either a concave cast-iron back,corrugated longitudinally, with inclined top and sides, or,with a smoothiron casting, to which an iron plate in the rear is bolted or attached,

so as to form an air-chamber, the sides, top,

and grate-back, all cast in one piece.

Either mode is objectionable for the followin g reasons: First,thecorrugated back is more likely to warpand crack from the heat bearingunequally uponit, expanding some portions more rapidly than others;second, the inclination of the grate-back is at such an angle that thegreater part of the heat is not retained within the fire-place, andhence is not brought to bear so powerfully upon the air-chamber, and, inaddition, the reflection of the heat is comparatively so small that theroom is not heated as much as it might be, and a great portion of theheat is wasted by escaping up the chimney; third, in other gratebacks,if any imperfection of the casting, or any crack or flawin thegrate-back occurs the whole air-chamber must be torn out and a new onesubstituted.

My invention obviates these difficulties. The back, being a smoothsurface, is not subject to an unequal contraction or expansion. Theinclination is at such an angle as to utilize all the heat of the fireby reflecting it out into the room and on the floor, and such portion aswould otherwise be wasted by escaping up the chimney is retained andused in heating the air-chamber; and, in addition, if by reason of anydefect or any other cause any smoke or gas should penetrate or enter theair-chamber, 'the'difficulty may be removed by substituting a newback-plate without tearing out the airchamber or disturbing any otherportion thereof.

This invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, and theconstruction more particularly described by reference to theaccompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation. Fig. 2 isa vertical section on line ac a), Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a perspectiveView of the grate-back, with its side flues and damper.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts wherever theyappear in the different figures.

A is the grate-back, curved or concaved, so

- as to 'form the smooth back and sides of the fire-place, while the topA is formed on a forward inclination of about forty-five (45) degrees,for the purpose of retaining the heat and reflecting the same downward.On the sides of grate-back A are formed flanges A through whichbolt-holes are made for joining the same to the flange of theair-chamber.

Parts A A A are castor otherwise formed in one piece. At the top of thefire-place is placed a cut-off or damper, A which extends nearly thewhole width of the fire-place. When it is turned upward or open, thedraft on the fire is greater, and the smoke has free access into thechimney through the opening thus provided.

When it is desired to decrease the draft and retain the heat more in thefire-place the damper is closed, or partially closed, when the smokewill pass through the lesser openings or flues A formed on each side ofthe top of the fire-place. These fiues A", and also the damper A areattached to the front of plate or grateback A.

To the sides of the grate-back may be se cured the side pieces A whichextend out ward flush with the flues A and over the front edge of theseis placed the mantel A, which gives a finished appearance tothefire-place, and also forms a support for grate A". To the back ofgrate-back A, or to its flanges A is cemented and bolted the air-chamberB. This air-chamber with its back B, sides B top B and flanges B", isformed all in one plate or in one piece.

In the bottom of the air-chamber is provided perforated bottom B andinside the air-chamber, and attached to its back, are deflectingplates BB In each side and near the top of the air-chamber are formed openings,with short pipes B to which pipes may be attached for carrying theheated air from the hot-air chamber B into the adjoining rooms on thesame-floor, or upper rooms of the house.

In the top of chamber B are formed openings with pipes B and to thesemay be attaehed different pipes for carrying the heated air todifl'erent rooms above; or the two pipes may connect with the one pipeB'".

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The grate-back A, having flange A in combination with plate B, havingflange B,

the two flanges being bolted and cemented together, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. Grate-back A, having incline A, in combination with damper A andflues A, sub-- stantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A chamber, B, composed of back B sides B, top B flange B, perforatedbottom B", deflecting-plates B B", and openings and pipes B B incombination with grate back A, damper A and flues A", substantially asand for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I afiix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. 2 LEFEBURE.

